Severing apparatus for severing ballooning yarn during spinning or twisting

ABSTRACT

A &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;balloon&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; is formed by an advancing yarn and is deflected to cause the yarn to be severed. In one environment, a tender patrols spinning stations of a spinning machine and automatically stops to service any of the stations requiring servicing which might occur, for example, because a bobbin being wound at the station is full. Upon stopping at a station, an operating assembly on the tender causes a yarn guide of the station to be retracted, and also causes a deflecting unit on the tender to deflect normal ballooning of the advancing yarn. This action, in turn, slows or stops a ring traveler which normally carries the advancing yarn about the bobbin, thus increasing the advancing speed of yarn while its withdrawal rate remains constant, and thereby severing the strand. In another environment, a supply bobbin is stationary and over-end withdrawal of the unwinding end at a generally constant speed causes the yarn to balloon transversely of the bobbin which facilitates faster unwinding. The balloon is deflected so that the yarn cannot be withdrawn as rapidly from the supply bobbin resulting in severing of the yarn.

United States Patent [191 Kildufi SEVERING APPARATUS FOR SEVERING Primary Examiner-John Petrakes I Attorney-Albert P. Davis and Burnett W. Norton [75] Inventor: Herbert Kilduii, Warwick, R.I. ABSTRACT [73] Assignee: Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.l. A balloon is formed y an advancing y and is flected to cause the yarn to be severed. In one environ- [22] Flled: May 1971 ment, a tender patrols spinning stations of a spinning 2 1 Appl 141,341 machine and automatically stops to service any of the stations requiring servicing which might occur, for exv ample, because a bobbin being wound at the station is [52] 11.8. CI. 57/34 R, 57/54, 57/86 7 f n Upon stopping at a Station, an operating assembly [51] Int. Cl Doll! 9/16 on the tender causes a yam guide of h station to be [58] Field of Search 57/34 R, 53, 54, retracted and also causes a deflecting unit on the mm 57/34 78-87 106 der to deflect normal ballooning of the advancing yarn. This action, in turn, slows or stops a ring traveler which [56] Relerences Cited normally carries the advancing yarn about the bobbin, UNITED STATES PATENTS thus increasing the advancing speed of yarn while its 2,949,722 8/ 1960 Henr r a1, 57/34 TT withdrawal rate remains constant, and thereby severing 3,403,866 10/1968 Bell et al 57/53 X the strand. In another environment, a supply bobbin is 3,438,187 4/1969 Escursell-Prat. 57/34 R stationary and over-end withdrawal of the unwinding 3,456,435 7/1969 Hayman r 57/34 R end at a generally constant speed causes the yarn to glam: balloon transversely of the bobbin which facilitates an faster unwinding. The balloon is deflected so that the 3,034,278 5/1962 Kay et al 57/106 x yam cannot be withdrawn as rapidly from the supply bobbin resulting in severing of the yarn.

10 Claims, 41 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJULZMW 3.147. 314

INVENTOR HERBERT KILDUFF wfll WWW SEVERING APPARATUS FOR SEVERING BALLOONING YARN DURING SPINNING OR TWISTING This invention relates to winding and, more particularly, to a system for severing a strand during winding thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various expedients are well known in the art for severing an advancing strand, as by cutting the strand or by pulling it apart, for example. However, a scissor or other sharp edged cutting instrument requires a considerable amount of maintenance in sharpening or replacement, and also requires considerable adjustment during set up for automatic operation. Breaking a strand may be accomplished by clamping a portion of the advancing strand so that as it continues to be advanced it snaps. With a twisted strand the strand may be untwisted so that it is weakened and is easily broken just by continuing to be advanced, or twist may be prevented from forming in a strand, again weakening the strand and facilitating breaking thereof.

It is a'primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved strand severing system.

Another object is provision of a new and improved, selectively operable strand severing system for use with apparatus in which the withdrawal rate of a strand at a source of supply is limited, thereby limiting the speed in which the strand may be advanced, and in which a portion of the strand is normally caused to balloon as the strand is advanced, the system including provision for deflecting the ballooning portion of the strand sufficiently to cause the advancing speed of the strand to exceed the withdrawal rate thereby severing the strand.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As used herein the term yarn means any strandular material, whether textile or otherwise; and the terms bobbin and package mean a strand wound in any suitable manner so that it may be readily moved from place to place.

The invention, in brief, is directed to severing an advancing and ballooning strand by deflecting the ballooning portion of the strand in such a manner that the strand is advanced at a higher speed than the speed at which it is released from a source of supply resulting in severing the strand.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 14 are fragmentary, schematic views ofa preferred embodiment of the invention and, more particu- Iarly:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a spinning station during normal bobbin winding operation;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 2 during severing operation;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a winding station with severing apparatus shown in solid lines during normal winding operation and in phantom lines during severing operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring generally to FIGS. l-3 of the drawing, one of a series of spinning stations 10 of a spinning machine is shown. During normal spinning operation an advancing strand l2, initially in the form of roving, is advanced at a predetermined lineal speed from a suitable source of supply 14 (FIG. 1) including drafting rolls 16. From the drafting rolls 16 the advancing strand 12 is guided through a suitable guide eye of a yarn guide assembly 18 which is pivoted by a pin 20 to a thread board 22 (FIG. 2). From the guide assembly 18 the strand 12 forms a ballooning portion 24 (FIGS. 1 and 3) responsive to centrifugal force, as it is twisted into yarn and passes through a balloon breaker ring 26 (FIGS. land 2) and a traveler 28 moving in a circle on a ring 30 fixedly secured to a ring rail 32. From the traveler 28 the strand 12 of yarn is formed into a bobbin 33 as it is wound onto a body 34 of yarn on a bobbin core 36 seated on a spindle 38 for rotation therewith. The spindle 38 is suitably journaled in a bearing bolster 40 fixedly secured to a stationary spindle rail 42 of the spinning machine and is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 44 in FIGS. 1-3. Both the thread board 22 and the ring rail 32 are suitably mounted for simultaneous vertical reciprocating movement during normal spinning operation of the spinning machine as indicated by the arrows 46 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A tender 48 for servicing the spinning stations 10 is suitably mounted adjacent the spinning machine for patrolling the spinning stations and is automatically operated to stop and initiate a servicing cycle at any station 10 requiring servicing, for example, because the bobbin 33 is full as is more fully discussed in a Leesona' Corporation U. S. Pat. No. 3,403,866, dated Oct. 1, 1968.

Upon stopping and initiating a servicing cycle at a station, an operating assembly 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of servicing apparatus on the tender 48 causes the yarn guide assembly 18 to be pivoted upwardly (counterclockwise) from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2', so that other portions (not shown) of the servicing apparatus on the tender may be brought into play for doffing the bobbin 33 on the spindle 38 and donning an empty bobbin core 36 onto the spindle. Also, the operating assembly 50 causes a unit in the form of a deflecting member 52 to deflect the ballooning portion 24 of the strand l2 advancing between the guide assembly 18 and the traveler 28 to sever the strand as will be discussed later.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operating assembly 50 includes a double acting air cylinder 54 having its closed end connected by a pivot pin 56 (FIG. 1) to a fixed portion 58 of the tender 48 for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis. A free end of a piston rod 60 of the cylinder 54 is pivoted by a pin 62 to the upper end of a link 64 which, in turn, is intermediately pivoted by a pin 66 to a fixed portion 68 of the tender 48. A lower end ofthe link has an elongated slot 70 which receives a pin 72 extending generally vertically from a slide body 74 of a slide assembly 76, the elongated slot 70 and pin 72 providing a lost motion connection. The slide body 74 is mounted on a guide bar which is fixed at either end to mounting brackets 82 (only one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) suitably fixed to a stationary portion 84 of the tender 48. Thus, upon operation of the cylinder 54, the slide body 74 is caused to move from a normal or retracted position, as shown in FIG. 1, to an extended or deflecting position, as shown in FIG. 2. i I

In moving to the deflecting position shown in FIG. 2 a generally horizontal slide bar 86 fixed to the slide body 74 moves to the left and a generally vertical bar 88 fixed to the free end of the slide bar 86 engages a cam surface on an abutment finger 90 on the yarn guide assembly 18 and causes the yarn guide assembly to be pivoted counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2, as is more fully discussed in a Leesona Corporation patent, U. S. Pat. No. 3,449,902, dated June 17, 1969.

At its lower end the vertical bar 88 carries the deflecting member 52, here in the form of a flat plate, FIG. 3, having an upstanding attaching tab 92 which is fixedly secured to the bottom end of the vertical bar 88. As the slide assembly 76 moves from its retracted position to its deflecting position the deflecting member 52 moves through the path of the ballooning portion 24 of the strand 12 and engages and deflects the advancing strand, the deflecting member 52 moving generally to the position as shown in FIG. 2 and the phantom line position in FIG. 3. A left edge surface 94 (FIG. 3) of the deflecting member 52 engages the strand 12 and is provided with an outstanding tab 96, transverse to the edge surface 94, for preventing the strand 12 from sliding off of the edge surface 94. During the remainder of the servicing operation of the tender 48 the bobbin 33 on the spindle 38 is doffed, an empty bobbin core 36 is donned onto the spindle 38, and the strand 12 is threaded through the traveler 28 and is started winding onto the core 36 of the empty bobbin 33. Meanwhile, the cylinder 54 is actuated to withdraw the slide assembly 76 whereupon gravity causes the yarn guide assembly 18 to pivot clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the deflecting member 52 is withdrawn. A rear edge surface 98 (FIG. 3) of the deflecting member 52 is shaped so as to cam the strand 12 (newly threaded onto the bobbin) out of the path of the deflecting member.

With reference to the environment shown in FIGS. l-3, the following example is generally indicative of an operative relationship and may vary from set-up to setup and yarn to yarn, as is well understood in the art. The strand 12 may be advanced by the drafting rolls 16 from the source of supply 14 at a lineal or axial speed of 50 f.p.m. (feet per minute), and is wound onto the bobbin 33 which has a surface speed of 3,000 to 6,000 f.p.m., depending on the speed of the spindle 38 and instantaneous bobbin diameter, to produce a lineal strand winding speed of 47.5 f.p.m., for example. The difference in the strand withdrawal speed and the strand winding speed is taken up by the circular movement of the traveler 28 on the traveler ring about the bobbin 33 as is well understood in the art. Upon deflecting the resultant balloon 24 upstream of the traveler 28 movement of the traveler on the ring 30 is curtailed or stopped entirely whereupon winding of the strand 12 onto the bobbin 33 results in the lineal speed of the strand being increased to the surface speed of the bobbin, that is, within the range of 3,000 to 6,000 f.p.m. which is well above the rate at which the strand I2 is advanced by the drafting rolls 16, thereby breaking the strand.

With reference to the environment shown in FIG. 4, a source of supply 102 in the form of a filled supply bobbin 104 mounted on a fixed peg 106, as on a winding machine 108 such as a Model 644 winder, manufactured by Leesona Corporation, Warwick, Rhode Island/As the unwinding end 110 of a body 112 of yarn on the bobbin 104 is withdrawn it forms a ballooning portion 113 and passes through a fixed yarn guide 114 and through a continuous helical groove 116 of a traverse roll 118 and is wound onto a package 120 rotating at a predetermined speed. When it is desired to sever the strand 12 of yarn advancing from the supply bobbin 104 to the package 120 an operating assembly 122 including a double acting cylinder 126 fixed to a stationary portion 128 of the winding machine 108 is actuated to extend its piston rod 130. Said rod 130 has fixed thereto a deflecting member 132 (as previously described). As said rod 130 is extended it moves the deflecting member 132 to the left, from the solid line retracted position to the phantom line deflecting position as seen in FIG. 4 and deflects the ballooning portion 113. As the deflecting member 132 engages and deflects the ballooning portion 113 lhe unwinding end 110 tends to lock onto the body 112 of yarn on the supply bobbin 104 and continued rotation of the package 120 causes the strand to break.

With reference to FIG. 4 it should be noted that ballooning of the yarn as it is withdrawn from the supply bobbin 104 causes the unwinding end 110, at the point where it leaves the body 112 of yarn on the bobbin, to move outwardly and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the bobbin, thereby aiding in freeing the end 110 from adjacent winds on the bobbin and permitting much more rapid unwinding of the body of yarn. When the balloon is deflected, as shown by phantom lines, the unwinding end 110 is no longer thrown outwardly in response to centrifugal force of the ballooning yarn and the unwinding end locks against an adjacent wind.

While this invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment in various environments, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to be limited to such embodiment or environments except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for interrupting a strand advancing from a supply source to take-up means comprising, means for operating said take-up means to wind up said advancing strand and induce the formation of a balloon in said strand intermediate said supply source and said take-up means, means for deflecting said balloon, means for disposing said deflecting means in a first position remote from said balloon, and means for operating said deflecting means'to a second position to deflect said balloon, said take-up means acting to exert increased tension on said strand to separate said strand when said balloon is deflected.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said takeup means includes means for imparting twist to said strand during its advance to said take-up means.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is roving, and said roving is twisted during its advance to said take-up means.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said takeup means includes a ring and a traveller movable around said ring to engage said strand and .impart twist thereto, and said deflecting means acts to engage said strand and restrict the twist imparted to said strand.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for operating said deflecting means is operable to extend said deflecting means from an inactive position to an active position to engage said strand, and is operable to retract said deflecting means to said inactive position after engagement with the strand.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including guide means in the path of said advancing strand for directing said strand to said take-up means, and means cooperative with said deflecting means to shift said guide away from said path as said deflecting means deflects said balloon.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said deflecting means includes an element having a surface for contacting said balloon, said surface having a portion to maintain said balloon in engagement with said surface.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ele ment includes a second surface for displacing said strand from a rectiliner path intermediate said supply source and said take-up means as said deflecting means moves from said second position to said first position.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is roving, and said take-up means includes a rotatable bobbin and a ring surrounding said bobbin with a traveller movable on said ring; and including drafting rolls for drafting said roving during its advance, said drafting rolls advancing said strand toward said bobbin at a rate substantially less than the surface speed of said bobbin, said traveller being operable to compensate for the variation in speed of the advancing strand and the surface speed of the bobbin and thereby guide said strand to said bobbin while imparting twist to said strand, said deflecting means being operable when deflecting said balloon to impede the movement of said traveller, thereby increasing the take-up rate of strand by the bobbin and thus interrupting the strand.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is a package of said strand, and including means for guiding said strand over-end from said package to said take-up means. 

1. Apparatus for interrupting a strand advancing from a supply source to take-up means comprising, means for operating said take-up means to wind up said advancing strand and induce the formation of a balloon in said strand intermediate said supply source and said take-up means, means for deflecting said balloon, means for disposing said deflecting means in a first position remote from said balloon, and means for operating said deflecting means to a second position to deflect said balloon, said take-up means acting to exert increased tension on said strand to separate said strand when said balloon is deflected.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said take-up means includes means for imparting twist to said strand during its advance to said take-up means.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is roving, and said roving is twisted during its advance to said take-up means.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said take-up means includes a ring and a traveller movable around said ring to engage said strand and impart twist thereto, and said deflecting means acts to engage said strand and restrict the twist imparted to said strand.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for operating said deflecting means is operable to extend said deflecting means from an inactive position to an active position to engage said strand, and is operable to retract said deflecting means to said inactive position after engagement with the strand.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including guide means in the path of said advancing strand for directing said strand to said take-up means, and means cooperative with said deflecting means to shift said guide away from said path as said deflecting means deflects said balloon.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said deflecting means includes an element having a surface for contacting said ballooN, said surface having a portion to maintain said balloon in engagement with said surface.
 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said element includes a second surface for displacing said strand from a rectiliner path intermediate said supply source and said take-up means as said deflecting means moves from said second position to said first position.
 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is roving, and said take-up means includes a rotatable bobbin and a ring surrounding said bobbin with a traveller movable on said ring; and including drafting rolls for drafting said roving during its advance, said drafting rolls advancing said strand toward said bobbin at a rate substantially less than the surface speed of said bobbin, said traveller being operable to compensate for the variation in speed of the advancing strand and the surface speed of the bobbin and thereby guide said strand to said bobbin while imparting twist to said strand, said deflecting means being operable when deflecting said balloon to impede the movement of said traveller, thereby increasing the take-up rate of strand by the bobbin and thus interrupting the strand.
 10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supply source is a package of said strand, and including means for guiding said strand over-end from said package to said take-up means. 